Darkness At the Edge of Town

Author Notes

This summer I found myself being asked to come up with a lot of beer cocktails -- the summer of the beer cocktail, I guess -- including some for an event put on by Deschutes Brewery. I came up with this cocktail specifically for use with their Black Butte Porter, but I think it would work with many different porter-style beers. The beer is basically used here as sort of a stand-in for vermouth and bitters in a spin-off of a classic Negroni. —fiveandspice

Test Kitchen Notes

WHO: Fiveandspice knows a thing or two about cocktails -- she and her husband own a distillery in Minnesota!
WHAT: A beer cocktail that’s kind of like a shandy, kind of like a Negroni, and kind of crazy.
HOW: Stir equal parts gin (fiveandspice's distillery's gin is great, but you can also use Tanqueray) and Aperol with ice, strain into a glass, then top with porter and a squeeze of orange juice. Prepare to be amazed.
WHY WE LOVE IT: This is a drink that left us scratching our heads. WHY do gin, Aperol, and porter beer go well together? With a couple more sips, we stopped being confused and surrendered to this strange, wonderful, and boozy combination. —The Editors